You realise it’s because they know they have all the power and can pull our pants down with it? Going to be like doing a supermarket sweep in a store with a power cut.

Our farming standards are only marginally better than the US (but still not acceptable). Can you honestly say that Eastern European standards are better than the US?

Where on Earth do you get that information from?

Show me any facts on that point.

The US is hurtling towards a series of dust bowls and has significant problems in its food chain controls.

As the Trump administration don't do trade deals which seek to benefit anyone but themselves it must be blindingly obvious to all except the most naive Brexiteer that this is a con.

Trump and his backers want to see the EU break up. Pushing a "no deal" Brexit over the line helps achieve that.

Putin's Russia also wants to see the EU break up so they can start to reclaim their influence over Eastern Europe.

The EU is an economic threat to both the USA and Russia hence the squeeze.

I don't want us to start lowering our standards to US levels but we would probably have no alternative if we fail to get a deal which sees us agreeing to continue to abide by the EU ones. Just independently stating we will follow them won't be enough. We need the EU to endorse them for them to be accepted in our trade.

A no deal Brexit therefore delivers us into the waiting arms of Trump who will expect to sell us things we don't actually want or need, at higher prices than we could have got from the EU, and at lower standards. Great job.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

I don’t think he was complaining about it, just highlighting that the idea that Trump is going to hand us a great deal is a pipe dream.

Negotiations with the EU are a good comparison; look how those have gone and the deal we’re going to end up with... why will we get on any better with the US?

I don't think you are keeping up

The USA does nothing that isn't in its interests

So it uses Europe as a staging post for its ambitions, so what? Basically it's cheaper than a couple of extra aircraft carriers.

We don't have to do a deal with the US and if it is a bad one surely the House of Commons will reject it. After all the MPs are not delegates and are free to make their own decisions in the best interest of the country?

One more point

Just my little joke

One more point

It's not a matter of exclusivity.

The EU, by over playing hardball have created a circumstance and opportunity for the US and others....plus trade with the EU will still continue but at a much lower percent on WTO.

I've seen the deal put on the table by the EU now we will see what Trump offers.

And if you are talking who I prefer between the EU project and the US....it isn't even a contest.

Edited by Stirlingsays (13 Aug 2019 2.11pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Negotiating with a begging bowl in your hand rarely works out well.

However, negotiating a position in which we remain as members, provided our demands are satisfied, would be to negotiate from strength.

Just saying!

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.